Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

धर्मवर्माणमस्त्वेवं प्रावोचमवधारय । श्लोकव्याख्यां स्फुटां वक्ष्ये दानहेतू च तौ श्रृणु

Transliteration

dharmavarmāṇamastvevaṃ prāvocamavadhāraya | ślokavyākhyāṃ sphuṭāṃ vakṣye dānahetū ca tau śrṛṇu

Translation

Qu’il en soit ainsi, ô Dharmavarman : comprends bien ce que je proclame à présent. Je donnerai clairement l’explication de ce śloka ; écoute aussi les deux causes du dāna, l’aumône sacrée.

Word by Word

• धर्मवर्माणम्: Dharmavarman (proper name)
• धर्मवर्माणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + varman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (धर्म एव वर्म यस्य/धर्म-वर्मा नाम)

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• प्रावोचम्: I said, I spoke
• प्रावोचम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु) with प्र-
• Form: लुङ् (aorist), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अवधारय: understand, take note
• अवधारय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dhṛ (धातु) with अव-
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• श्लोकव्याख्याम्: explanation of the verse
• श्लोकव्याख्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śloka (प्रातिपदिक) + vyākhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (श्लोकस्य व्याख्या)

• स्फुटाम्: clear
• स्फुटाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sphuṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वक्ष्ये: I will explain/say
• वक्ष्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• दानहेतू: the two causes of giving
• दानहेतू: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक) + hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (दानस्य हेतू)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन

• शृणु: hear, listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

Brahmin teacher (unnamed in snippet; deduced as the instructing dvija in the dialogue)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dharmavarman (addressed directly)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The brāhmaṇa-teacher addresses Dharmavarman by name, calming the tension and beginning a lucid exposition; the posture shifts from interrogation to instruction, with the teacher opening a manuscript or gesturing to begin enumerations.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmavarman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna should be grounded in understood principles; the teacher promises clarity and a structured explanation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse; it transitions into doctrinal exposition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An announced teaching: the two causes (hetu) governing dāna will be explained and should be heard attentively.